Flying-machine structure



7, 1 c. DORNIER FLYING MACHINE STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 2'7, 1928 n Z J Z wV1 W1 L I ll 5 Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECLAUDIUS DORNIER, 0F FRIEDRICHSHAFEN ON THE BODENSEE, GERMANY, ASSIGNOROF ONE-HALF TO THE FIR-M DORNIER-METALLBAUTEN G. M. B. H., OF FRIEDRICH-SHAFEN ON THE BOIDEN SEE, GERMANY FLYING-MACHINE s'rnuc'rnnn Applicationfiled January 27, 1928, Serial No. 250,064, and in Germany February 8,1927.

My invention refers to flying machines and more particularly to thewings of aeroplanes, and has for its primary object to design thebearing planes of aeroplanes in a manner whereby they can bemanufactured and assembled from a greater number of substantiallyidentical parts in a cheaper and more convenient manner than washitherto possible.

In the construction of the bearing planes of aeroplanes, more especiallylarge-sized ones, it has already been suggested to form each wing withone or several longitudinal spars or girders extending at right anglesto the direction of flight, ribs extending from these spars and betweenthem, if several such spars are provided, in the direction of flight,the wing structure being thus formed of a plurality of intersectingspars and ribs, preferably of girder shape. The rectangular or squarecells formed by the intersecting spars and ribs were covered up by meansof sheet metal plates forming in their totality the outer skin of thewing.

I have now found that in wings having a skeleton structure such as abovedescribed, the sheet metal plates forming the outer skin are replacedwith great advantage by framework members covered on one or both sideswith a suitable covering material, for instance canvas, either a singlebody of this kind filling a cell or several such members closing therectangular space at the top and at the bottom. These members arepreferably connected with the wing skeleton or with each other in aneasily detachable manner.

In the drawings aflixed to this specification and forming part thereofwing structures embodying my invention are illustrated diagrammaticallyby way of example.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an end view of a' filling member designed to cover the top ofa rectangular cell forming part of the wing skeleton.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a side view.

Fig. 4 is an end view of a similar member, designed to form the bottomclosure for such rectangular cell.

Fig. 5 is an end view of another form of Fig. 7 is a cross-section onthe line VIIVII in Fig. 6, taken in the direction of flight, and a winghaving the cells closed by top and bottom members, such as shown inFigs. 1 and, 4, and

Fig. 8 is a six \ilar view of a wing in which the cells, are filled withfilling members, as shown in Fig. 5.

Referring first to Figs. 1-3, the member here shown forms a framework inspace, consisting of four framework girders 1, as shown in Fig. 1,having trapezoidal section and four framework girders 2 as shown in Fig.3, two of the girders 2 intersecting the girders 1, while two othersform the inclined sides of the framework structure. formed the squareframework body shown in plan view in Fig. 2, having a larger top andsmaller bottom surface. This member is enveloped in a suitable envelope,for instance of canvas or the like indicated at 3, and thus forms a sortof braced box-shaped body capable of withdrawing high pressures. Twosuchbodies, one being shown in Fig. 1, the other in Fig. 4, can now beplaced in position in the cells formed by the spars and ribs of a wingas illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein 4 are three longitudinal spars,while 5 are the ribs extending at right angles thereto and forming withthe spars a framework skeleton structure which is attached to thefuselage or to a middle structure of the craft. The cells formed betweenthe spars and ribs are reinforced by diagonal braces 6 and are closed atthe top and bottom by the filling members 7 and 8 described withreference to Figs. 1-4. Sheet metal head and tail pieces 9 and- 10,respectively, are secured to the front and rear s ars 4, in order tocomplete the wing.

In ig. 5 is shown a framework filling member capable of filling entirelyone of the cells, of a wing structure such as shown in Fig. 6. Here themember is shown as being formed of a plurality of intersecting frameworkgirders 10 and 11,'the top and bottom There is thus of the member beingfor instance covered by means of sheet metal plates 12 and 13.

Fig. 8 illustrates a wing as shown in Fig.

6 with fillin members according to Fig. secured in p ace in.-.the wincells.

Obviously vthe particular 'nd of framework here shown can be replaced byany other structural means and the number of girder-like bodies formingpart of each top or bottom member according to Figs. 1 and 4 or of eachfilling member according to Fig. 5 may be varied. I may also use anykind of covering or envelope to take up the vertical forces acting onthe.wing, and I may use any suitable means such as rivets, screw boltsor the like for fixing the filling members in place in the structure.Obviously a wing having a single longitudinal middle spar I withtransverse ribs extending therefrom may be constructed with similarfilling members, and I wish it to be understood that the-number of sparsand ribs does not form part of this invention, but can be variedaccording to requirements. The same applies to the head and tail piecesshown in the drawings and to the general construction of the wing shownby way of example.

I claim Wing structure for flying machines comprising two spars arrangedin the direction of the main spread of the wing, ribs extending betweenand connecting said spars andforming substantially rectangular cells andfilling members, each forming a framework in space, detachably insertedin said cells to serve as supports for a covering and as ad ditionalbracmg members for said ribs.- In testimony whereof, I afix m signature.

CLAUDIUS D RNIER.

